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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29734080">A Dance In Fire || Michael Jackson</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_a_gentleman/pseuds/im_a_gentleman'>im_a_gentleman</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Michael Jackson (Musician)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>BoyxBoy, Gay, M/M, Marvin Anderson, Stockholm Syndrome, Zain Larkin, etc - Freeform, for example, made up characters - Freeform, mafia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:33:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29734080</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_a_gentleman/pseuds/im_a_gentleman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>MichaelxEddie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. 『𝚃.𝚆𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜』</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If you haven't noticed, this will be an LGBT+ story so if you have a problem with that you're free to leave and find a new story to suit your interests.</p>
<p>No, Michael is not gay in real life but it's called fiction for a reason so don't come at me.</p>
<p>I have to warn you that this story will include</p>
<p>-Mafia<br/>-Stockholm Syndrome<br/>-Gore<br/>-Kindapping<br/>-Death<br/>-Insomnia<br/>-Drugs</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that this is probably gonna be cringy but bare with me.</p>
<p>(Chile I'm probs gonna add things sooner or later idek-)</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter One: Feelings ≠ Logic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>C.W: Slight gore {blood}</p><p> </p><p>He glanced back at the clock, only a few minutes left before he would be allowed to go home. The shop has been quiet the past couple of hours and he wasn't expecting any more customers before the soft ringing of the bell shook him out of his thoughts as a tall man walked through the door.</p><p>His smooth caramel skin glinted under the fancy lights as he approached Michael, piercing green eyes staring into his soul. He wore a white dress shirt underneath a charcoal blazer. His black slacks reached just above his ankles as his shoes made a satisfying click with every step he took.</p><p>"Good afternoon, what would you like to order?"</p><p>The man licked his lips, his eyes scanning Michael up and down before he spoke, "I'd like a tall black coffee, please."</p><p>Michael typed in the order then glanced up from the register, "One tall black coffee. That'll be four dollars and fifty cents. Please come to the register when I call you, feel free to sit at one of the booths while waiting for your coffee." He nodded and trudged off.</p><p>Michael smiled to himself and turned to get his drink ready. His coworkers had left just minutes ago and he couldn't wait to leave. His hands worked hastily, he'd been working here for years, he just had to not mess this up, which wasn't much of a task -but he was a perfectionist in every way possible, so he still had to be cautious, just in case. He placed the cup on the cold surface in front of him as he called out for the man.</p><p>He walked up to the counter and grasped the warm paper cup as he thanked him, sliding the money over to him. Michael broke eye-contact with him and proceeded to put the money in the cash register. He looked up, expecting to see the man walking away but he stood in the same spot, calmly sipping the contents of the cup. A confused smile crept onto Michael's face, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"</p><p>The man shrugged his shoulders and chugged some of his coffee before answering, and Michael couldn't help but stare at his chest, he'd just realized that the first two buttons were unclasped. He was wearing a golden chain, hm, that's hot. His eyes traveled up, and damn that jaw was sharp.  Michael quickly brought his eyes back up to his face, luckily he hadn't noticed him gawking. "No, I don't really need anything. Just wanted to make some small talk. What's your name? I'm Marvin Anderson."</p><p>Michael was somewhat taken aback, but he appreciated the fact that he wanted to talk to him. "I'm Michael Jackson. It's nice to meet you, Marvin." A chuckle left Marvin's lips, Michael beamed.</p><p>"It's nice to meet you too, Michael," He liked the way his name rolled off his tongue, "How old are you, Michael?"</p><p>"I'm thirty, you?"</p><p>"I'm thirty, too"</p><p>"Thirty-two?"</p><p>"No, I'm thirty as well."</p><p>"Oh," Michael chuckled, "My bad." Marvin dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand and a nod.</p><p>"Well, I guess I'll see you on Monday, Mike. Can I call you that?" Michael nodded with a grin, "Okay, I'm gonna go home now, bye." Zain said in a sing-song voice, Michael waved to him as he left the shop, giggling. Marvin seemed like a fun person to talk to, in his opinion.</p><p>He shifted his weight onto his other foot as he turned his attention to the clock. Joy and something- you could call it fear, or anxiety? Feelings are weird, anyways- seeped into his stomach as he took off his white apron. He clicked the lights off in one swift move as he approached the door and flipped the closing sign.</p><p>He stepped out of the shop and called for a taxi and a few minutes later he was on his way home.</p><p>¤</p><p>He picked up the phone, anxiety bubbling in his stomach as he dialed the number. One ring after the other, his palm was covered with a light coat of sweat. He wasn't the type of person to go clubbing, so this was a big deal for him.</p><p>A voice on the other line shook Michael out of his thoughts, Michael greeted them back as he tangled his fingers in the telephone wire - he's old-fashioned -</p><p>He nodded along to their words and they agreed on meeting up at the park. Michael jogged up to his room to get ready. He was told to dress nicely, so of course, he's gonna wear casual clothing. What do people wear to clubs anyway? He slipped on a white shirt and some black slacks, I wasn't joking when I said casual clothing.</p><p>He put on his loafers and grabbed his keys before stepping outside in the warm weather. He locked his door and began walking towards the park, his thoughts taking over.</p><p>¤</p><p>He pushed open the lightly rusted gate. Its creaks echoed as twigs snapped underneath his shoes. His head turned to the swings, where his friend Zain sat with all his glory.</p><p>He glanced up from the ground and smiled, standing up and approaching Michael as he threw his cigarette on the grass and stomped it. Michael cringed at the action but he was used to it, he and Zain have been friends since they were teenagers so it wasn't new. Zain rolled his eyes at Michael's choice of clothing, but he didn't really care, Michael still looked good.<br/>"So, where we goin'?"</p><p>"There's a club nearby. Maybe we can find you a boyfriend?" Zain poked fun at Michael as he snickered, causing Michael to roll his eyes.<br/>"Whatever, let's go."</p><p>They hopped in Zain's car -which was on the other side of the park- and drove off to their destination, cracking jokes here and there.</p><p>About thirty minutes passed by and the area started to get more and more deserted. The stars were multiplying and there were no cars, except for a couple that were trailing behind them, but they thought nothing of it.</p><p>There was a glowing shack in the distance, Michael assumed that it was the club. It was smaller than your usual club, but the bright lights and loud music made Michael excited, so what could go wrong? Zain's car came to a slow stop, he turned the car off and stepped out of it, walking up to the club as Michael followed him.</p><p>They entered the club and the flashing lights were almost blinding, the music was loud enough to burst someone's eardrums. Sweaty bodies collided and people yelled as Zain and Michael shuffled through the crowd of drunks.</p><p>They reached the end of the club and there was a black leather sofa lined up on the wall with four circular white tables, perfectly spaced. There were a few people conversing on the couch, others making out and some were passed out.</p><p>Zain pulled Michael to an empty spot and they sat down, staring at the jam-packed dance floor as the glowing tiles changed colors. Zain set his grey sports jacket on Michael's lap and proceeded to start recording his surroundings. Now I know you may think that Zain is a hypocrite for telling Michael to dress nicely while he's going out in a grey sports jacket, but cut him some slack.</p><p>His plan was to get Michael a boyfriend, and he's gonna do it; it doesn't matter if he couldn't do it tonight but he will do it. Plus, he doesn't really care how people view him -aside from Michael, of course- he could be dressed like a Disney princess and he still wouldn't care, so he's a pretty cool friend to have.</p><p>Zain settled back onto the cold hide, resting his head on Michael's shoulder. "Did you meet anyone today? Have a potential boyfriend?" Michael was about to shake his head but then he remembered, the man that he met today. They didn't talk for long, he barely knew anything about him for God's sake, but the energy that he gave off, his presence... He couldn't stop thinking about it, and it bothered him.</p><p>"Not a potential boyfriend, but there was this really handsome guy at work. He didn't seem to be engaged or married, but he might be in a relationship," He sighed and crossed his arms. There was no way in hell he'd get close to him.</p><p>They'll be able to talk on Monday, but only for a short while; Michael knows he's too awkward to start an actual conversation. Zain stayed quiet, causing Michael to sigh in frustration and hopelessness.</p><p>His eyes skimmed over the club, hoping to find someone he could dance with but a faint white flash, like a flashlight, caught his attention. The door closed, his curiosity was spiked.</p><p>He stood up, causing Zain to roll off him, Zain protested in annoyance and accompanied Michael. He asked Michael where he was going but Michael shushed him and kept walking towards the door.</p><p>Michael looked around him to check if anyone was watching, but everybody was occupied. The door blended in with the walls as if it wasn't there at all. It could've been the restroom or the kitchen but Michael knew better, why would it be hidden? His hand grazed over the smooth, yet bumpy metal. His hand landed on a small handle, so he turned it and slipped in unnoticed, Zain doing the same.</p><p>The door slammed shut the moment he let go, he turned to walk down what he thought would be a corridor but Zain caught him before he fell down a flight of stairs, pulling his arm back aggressively and accidentally causing him to thwack against the cold metal.</p><p>Michael whined in pain and opened his eyes, immediately panicking, "Am I blind? Oh my God- Zain, I'm blind." His arms flailed around in search of him but Zain just clutched his arm and pulled him close, then grabbed his phone and turned on the flashlight.</p><p>"You're not blind, Michael. It's just dark in here." Zain looked at the ground, gravel. It crunched underneath them every time they shifted. He pointed the light at the steep staircase which was also made of gravel and hummed in unease. "Well, that's okay," He turned to open the door, "We can just leave," He twisted the handle and pulled, it didn't budge. He tried again and again, nothing. His heart rate began picking up as his breaths became more distraught. </p><p>Michael gripped his bicep, "Is it not working?" Zain shook his head, his head swimming with terrible thoughts, what if they got in trouble? What if they never get to leave? Michael gently took the phone from Zain and slid his hand down and interlocked his fingers with his, tugging his hand and urging him to go down the stairs. They carefully waddled down the steep staircase.</p><p>Zain was slightly shaking, he was scared, and I know you may be thinking that most people would be scared in that situation, and you're right; most people are scared of that, but when it comes to Zain it's deeply rooted in childhood trauma. </p><p>Blame his father- that was also one of the reasons he and Michael were so close, both of them had a terrible relationship with their fathers.</p><p>After what seemed like hours, they finally reached a not-so-flat-flat surface. Zain wasn't shaking anymore, which they were both grateful for. They looked around and spotted another metal door, then proceeded to approach it discretely.</p><p>The door opened and a dim light shone in on them, thanks to the old lightbulb swinging around in there. There was a bed in the middle, but it looked clean and tidy. There were no windows and no other doors. Michael turned the phone off and shoved it into Zain's pocket. </p><p>He looked around as his grip on Zain's hand tightened. He walked over to the bed, his fingers skimming over the dark blue cover. There was a brown wooden closet next to the bed, it was shiny but looked old. Zain studied the room, agitation grabbing him by the throat and suffocating him.</p><p>A muffled scream left Michael as he let go of Zain's hand, a piece of cloth covered his mouth as a cold hand tightly wrapped around his throat. Zain pulled Michael's arm towards him and harshly pushed the person off Michael.</p><p>A grunt could be heard from the man on the ground. Zain firmly gripped Michael's waist and kicked the man several times in the face before Michael yelled at him to stop. The man laid on the floor with a bloodied nose. He seemed to be unconscious, Michael crouched down and checked for a pulse, and thankfully, there was one.</p><p>He sighed in relief and grabbed Zain's hand then stood up. They were about to walk out of the room when two other men came into the room, one pushed Michael onto the bed and the other went for Zain. They were dressed in full black suits, nothing that hid their faces though. Oh, they must've thought that the duo wouldn't even make it out alive, well, they were horribly mistaken.</p><p>The man with ginger hair threw a punch at Zain, but he dodged and harshly jabbed his fist into his side, meanwhile, Michael squirmed under the blond as the grip on his wrists tightened, he kicked him repeatedly until he had no choice but to let go.</p><p>Zain got behind the ginger and kicked him, causing him to harshly collide with the concrete floor. At least it wasn't gravel anymore.</p><p>Michael pushed the man so he was lying flat on the bed and straddled him, then punched him in the face, an audible crack, then blood gushing out of his nose.</p><p>Zain adjusted his white tank top and pulled Michael off the man then ran out the room and pointed to a door behind the stairs. "I think that's the exit. Let's go before more of them come in."</p><p>They fled the scene and ended up behind the club. There were two black cars in the distance, and they tried their best to avoid being seen. They finally reached the car and got in, locking the doors.</p><p>"Ah, fuck, I left my jacket in the club." Zain groaned, dragging his hands down his face.</p><p>"That's fine, we can get you another one later. That jacket was ugly anyway."</p><p>"Hey, no it's not!" Zain declared, but he smiled nonetheless. It's not like he could help it, Michael's smile was contagious. Michael snickered and shook his head.</p><p>They drove aimlessly for a while before Michael decided to break the awkward silence, "Wanna come back to my place?" Zain nodded, then turned on the radio, trying to ease the atmosphere.</p><p>¤</p><p>The car ride had consisted of Zain and Michael screaming to the lyrics of Toxic by Britney Spears, playing trivia, and they also discussed how insects have sex. An interesting topic, that one. Michael unlocked the door and stepped in, "I know they have sex, Zain, but how does a fly have a dick? I mean," He took his shoes off, "It must be really small if that's the case." Zain snorted.</p><p>"Exactly, ever heard of a micro-penis?" He asked with a goofy expression.</p><p>"Yeah, my ex had one." Michael shot back, and they lost it. When they were finally done laughing, they raced towards Michael's room, both of them laughing as Zain almost crashed into the door.</p><p>They unlocked the door and stepped in, Michael's fingers searched for the light switch and flicked it, the bright light shone in on them, and a small smile grew onto Zain's face.</p><p>He missed Michael's room, they'd done so many things here, one time they prank called the cops, and almost got arrested, it was really fun. Zain flopped onto the bed as Michael walked into the bathroom and locked the door, he said he was gonna shower and that Zain had to wait for his turn.</p><p>He sat up and grabbed the remote, pointing it towards the wide black TV that was settled on top of a white wooden dresser a couple of feet away from the bathroom door.</p><p>He skipped through the channels and ended up leaving it on an old comedy show. He stretched then and laid back down on the thick white blanket.</p><p>The words coming out of the speakers began sounding like gibberish as his mind drifted away to what happened at the club, specifically the basement.</p><p>It all happened so quickly, he was glad Michael wasn't hurt, but God knows what would've happened to him if he wasn't there. He sighed and tried to forget about it, regrets are pointless. Plus, he was with Michael right now, so everything is fine. He began to focus on the show, eventually loosening up and actually enjoying what he was watching.</p><p>The bathroom door opened and Michael walked out dressed in a shirt that was clearly Zain's and black sweat-pants. He smiled at the sound of the TV, "I love this show," He uttered and went to turn off the light, "I already have some of your clothes, they're in the bathroom," He jumped onto the bed, lifting the cover, "Just don't use all the hot water," Michael joked, grinning at Zain.</p><p>Zain nodded, returning the smile. He stood up and lumbered to the bathroom then locked the door and undressed, a feeling of sudden euphoria coming over him as he threw his shirt in the laundry basket. He couldn't wait to spend the night with Michael.</p><p>¤</p><p>"Zain, stop throwing flour at me," He squeaked and dodged a fistful of flour, "I'll make you clean it up," He taunted, Zain stopped throwing flour and laughed, pitching it onto the table. Michael grabbed the dough from the bowl and spread the powder before setting the dough down onto the flour-covered marble surface, rolling his sleeves up, and kneading it. Once Zain was done washing his hands, he came back downstairs and grabbed the remote from the black wooden table in front of the couch, picking out a movie for them to watch. </p><p>He peered into the kitchen and watched Michael squeeze and pull as he worked the dough, his arms had brown splotches and dots, he was absolutely stunning. He called him over and Zain helped him add the tomato sauce, flinging some onto Michael's oversized grey ninja-turtles shirt. </p><p>Zain chuckled as Michael gasped, he covered the rest of the soon-to-be pizza with the paste, "Sorry, Mike. Guess you'll have to take your shirt off," He suggested, leaning forward and winking. Michael frowned but laughed, it was normal for them to flirt, it was funny, but sometimes emotions got out of control and they may have done a few things, but that didn't really matter to them. </p><p>"You want to see me with my shirt off that bad?" Michael raised an eyebrow, biting his lip.</p><p> Zain snorted in a way that was nowhere near attractive and nodded, "Yeah, yeah. Who wouldn't?" They added cheese and some toppings, but they stayed away from the mushrooms, Zain hated those. He said they reminded him of smurfs' houses. Michael didn't take his shirt off- to Zain's dismay. He went upstairs to get another shirt, meanwhile, Zain was cleaning up the flour he tried to chuck at Michael. </p><p>He squinted at the pizza that was in the oven, checking to see if it was actually cooking and then he went into the living room, sitting next to Michael who was now dressed in one of his own shirts.  He slung an arm over Michael's shoulders and tugged the fur blanket over their bodies, pulling Michael closer and sharing his warmth. His hand rubbed his shoulder, eventually creeping down to his torso and then his waist, squeezing it. Michael rested his head on Zain's shoulder and sighed, closing his eyes for a second before redirecting his attention to the TV.</p><p>Zain's other hand held Michael's, his thumb occasionally running over Michael's knuckles, feeling his soft skin. Michael clutched his hand tighter, bringing his knees to his chest and bringing Zain's hand up so it cupped his face, Michael rubbed his face into Zain's large palm. He stared up at Zain, dark brown eyes stared back, his complexion was dark and beautiful, he had short dreadlocks and a defined, square face. </p><p>"You're really handsome." Michael blurted out, still staring at Zain's remarkable features.</p><p> Zain grinned and rolled his eyes as he spoke, "Why, thank you. It's a curse I have to live with," He dramatically faked a sob, causing Michael to wheeze. The oven timer dinged and Zain got up and grabbed the mittens then took the pizza out, placing it on the table to cool for a bit. He sat back down next to Michael and increased the TV's volume, pulling Michael back next to him.</p><p>A smile tugged at the corner of Michael's lips, he was happy here with Zain, and he was gonna enjoy it while it lasted.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: Heyy, sorry if there were any grammatical errors. I hope you enjoyed that- sorry if it's cringy I haven't written in a long time. The updates will be slow, but that's okay, I'm not giving up on this book. Have a nice day/night :)</p><p>3568 words.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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